AAEE Conference at Yeppoon QLD –
Hot and humid most of the days but they said it was relatively cool -
Magnificent thunderstorm on Sunday night – sheet lightning and torrential rain
Capricorn Resort owned by a Japanese family- huge – they actually own 20,000 acres so when you go horseriding or playing golf you are st
ill on their land.
Long ocean front beach behind sandhills – first day warned not to walk on the beach – sandstorms and then told is a couple of days later not to swim – jellyfish stingers – but the pools were lovely albeit warmer water than I am used to! I did get to dip a couple of times although very busy at the conference and associated meetings.
Conference went well – wonderful meeting up with old friends – I was inducted as president – so that was a thrill, but also my sessions went well ( except for the first one when I think I had a potential tummy bug and felt so awful I could barely concentrate). My invited speaker session was well received and that was an especial thrill.
ACED meeting – I felt a load of responsibility to represent AAEE well – but Roger was there and there was a lot of support from those present – even found one chap was an ex Uni colleague from my PhD days- although I wouldn’t have recognised him except for his name.
Lots of Palm trees – many types, cane toads, very tame kangaroos and a peacock called Andrew – nice place!
Glanmire - Flew down to Brisbane and then Sydney and then on the train – weather change – couldn’t see out the windows for rain – Catherine’s place was very green with much longer grass than I have ever seen there. Rain continued heavily during the night and the creek came up so much that she had to drive Brett to work in the Ute and then couldn’t get back across the stream – after an hour or so creek was down enough to cross – although only in the ute – we couldn’t get out until the Monday morning - - still water over the ford but only a few inches by then.
Peter taught the kids to play Kuan Kan card game – and they became addicted – a great way to spend a wet weekend. Samantha was very lively – she is quick and almost non stop movement. Growing up fast – has quite a vocabulary now – including Hot and ouch!
I stayed home on Monday although Peter went in to the RSL. I watched Sam while Brett did farm things – he was building a training ring for Catherine using some huge gum tree logs he had cut and shaped from their own property. Very heavy! but the effect is good.
Tripping
Tuesday morning – we set off for Canberra – through Oberon and Goulburn. Country not quite as dry as it had been three years ago. Also a bit cooler thank goodness. I am wishing I had brought a jacket or cardigan.
Easy run through to Qeanbeyan and we found a motel – adequate – went straight up to the War memoria lmuseum for an hour and a half – saw the sound and light shows in the Anzac Hall – very effective melding of old footage and new. Really brings home the lack of desire I would have for going to war – although I know that if it was essential there is a time and place for it.
Wednesday – got back to the Museum – getting a bit lost on all the roundabouts on the way! Went to the Second world war exhibits and found a special room and display for the Sandakan memorial – photos of all those who had been identified as dying on the Sandakan death march. Uncle Lionels photo was there although he didn’t really die on the death march but was executed after a mock trial and his photo was outside on a special display of the Kuching prison camp stone with the citation given when he was given a post humous George Cross.
We put a poppy by Uncle Fred and by Uncle Lionel on the Roll of Honour.
Dinner at the RSL Memorial Bowling club – heaps of people there – they all come for a
reasonably cheap meal and the raffles – they were raffling about 20 hams – although most people spent at least $10 on tickets. We didn’t win one! Expensive dinner.
Thursday morning – deaded off towards Cooma – the beginning of the Snowy mountains – saw flock of kangaroos in the paddock and lots of open paddocks with gum trees. After a morning tea at Cooma – the centre of the region – lots of shops and with a major history if one had stopped to investigate – all the immigrants shipped in to work on the Snowy River Scheme formed a colourful population for this region.
Then off south from Cooma and down towards Bombala over the Great Dividing range – great open paddocks for awhile – real sheep country and then as got closer to the Cann River lots of gum trees , in national parks ( and potentially wildlife although we saw only birds) and
started to get into cattle country. Took a little “brown” road out to the coast to a place marked as Tamboon inlet – it was a long ride through thick gum trees but eventually got to the shore and found fishermen there. It is basically like a lake although it appears to have an opening to the sea. Lots of pelicans and apparently good fishing. It is all one of the national parks – saw an almost tame kookaburra.
Cloudy and wet – but drove on down through Marlo past the outlet of the Snowy River – which has built up some pretty sand hills with a very narrow entrance to the sea. Road followed real wetlands to Orbost and on to Lake Tyers entrance and then to Lakes Entrance. Same pattern with many of the river outlets – big sandbars and a very narrow entrance.
Friday
We had a quick look at the Lakes Entrance, and another town on the lakes, Paynesville, and then up to Omeo which was once an old gold mining town – now largely deserted after a major fire in 1939. The road up through the Great Dividing Range was beautiful – at first it wa
s all stony with gum trees blackened by bush fires clinging in between the rocks. The road was very windy and climbed up and then dropped down to the rivers to nice little camping areas – the road then went through an area of major bush fires – probably about 3 years ago – the tall straight silver grey ghost gums had no foliage – must have all died after the fires – they looked quite sad and then the new regrowth had started and it was lush and bright with the tips of the new gum trees golden and red in the sunlight – quite spectacular - I couldnt capture it on film. Ended up through beef grazing country at Tallangatta and then came on past Lake Hume – the artificial lake with its dreadful dead trees all sticking up – when they flooded the land for the lake the trees just stood there – goodness knows how long they have been standing there – but they look awful.
Stopped the night at Albury – this is turning into the longest blog of all time!
Hot and humid most of the days but they said it was relatively cool -
Magnificent thunderstorm on Sunday night – sheet lightning and torrential rain
Capricorn Resort owned by a Japanese family- huge – they actually own 20,000 acres so when you go horseriding or playing golf you are st
ill on their land.Long ocean front beach behind sandhills – first day warned not to walk on the beach – sandstorms and then told is a couple of days later not to swim – jellyfish stingers – but the pools were lovely albeit warmer water than I am used to! I did get to dip a couple of times although very busy at the conference and associated meetings.
Conference went well – wonderful meeting up with old friends – I was inducted as president – so that was a thrill, but also my sessions went well ( except for the first one when I think I had a potential tummy bug and felt so awful I could barely concentrate). My invited speaker session was well received and that was an especial thrill.
ACED meeting – I felt a load of responsibility to represent AAEE well – but Roger was there and there was a lot of support from those present – even found one chap was an ex Uni colleague from my PhD days- although I wouldn’t have recognised him except for his name.
Lots of Palm trees – many types, cane toads, very tame kangaroos and a peacock called Andrew – nice place!
Glanmire - Flew down to Brisbane and then Sydney and then on the train – weather change – couldn’t see out the windows for rain – Catherine’s place was very green with much longer grass than I have ever seen there. Rain continued heavily during the night and the creek came up so much that she had to drive Brett to work in the Ute and then couldn’t get back across the stream – after an hour or so creek was down enough to cross – although only in the ute – we couldn’t get out until the Monday morning - - still water over the ford but only a few inches by then.
Peter taught the kids to play Kuan Kan card game – and they became addicted – a great way to spend a wet weekend. Samantha was very lively – she is quick and almost non stop movement. Growing up fast – has quite a vocabulary now – including Hot and ouch!
I stayed home on Monday although Peter went in to the RSL. I watched Sam while Brett did farm things – he was building a training ring for Catherine using some huge gum tree logs he had cut and shaped from their own property. Very heavy! but the effect is good.
Tripping
Tuesday morning – we set off for Canberra – through Oberon and Goulburn. Country not quite as dry as it had been three years ago. Also a bit cooler thank goodness. I am wishing I had brought a jacket or cardigan.
Easy run through to Qeanbeyan and we found a motel – adequate – went straight up to the War memoria lmuseum for an hour and a half – saw the sound and light shows in the Anzac Hall – very effective melding of old footage and new. Really brings home the lack of desire I would have for going to war – although I know that if it was essential there is a time and place for it.
Wednesday – got back to the Museum – getting a bit lost on all the roundabouts on the way! Went to the Second world war exhibits and found a special room and display for the Sandakan memorial – photos of all those who had been identified as dying on the Sandakan death march. Uncle Lionels photo was there although he didn’t really die on the death march but was executed after a mock trial and his photo was outside on a special display of the Kuching prison camp stone with the citation given when he was given a post humous George Cross.
We put a poppy by Uncle Fred and by Uncle Lionel on the Roll of Honour.
Dinner at the RSL Memorial Bowling club – heaps of people there – they all come for a
reasonably cheap meal and the raffles – they were raffling about 20 hams – although most people spent at least $10 on tickets. We didn’t win one! Expensive dinner.Thursday morning – deaded off towards Cooma – the beginning of the Snowy mountains – saw flock of kangaroos in the paddock and lots of open paddocks with gum trees. After a morning tea at Cooma – the centre of the region – lots of shops and with a major history if one had stopped to investigate – all the immigrants shipped in to work on the Snowy River Scheme formed a colourful population for this region.
Then off south from Cooma and down towards Bombala over the Great Dividing range – great open paddocks for awhile – real sheep country and then as got closer to the Cann River lots of gum trees , in national parks ( and potentially wildlife although we saw only birds) and
started to get into cattle country. Took a little “brown” road out to the coast to a place marked as Tamboon inlet – it was a long ride through thick gum trees but eventually got to the shore and found fishermen there. It is basically like a lake although it appears to have an opening to the sea. Lots of pelicans and apparently good fishing. It is all one of the national parks – saw an almost tame kookaburra.Cloudy and wet – but drove on down through Marlo past the outlet of the Snowy River – which has built up some pretty sand hills with a very narrow entrance to the sea. Road followed real wetlands to Orbost and on to Lake Tyers entrance and then to Lakes Entrance. Same pattern with many of the river outlets – big sandbars and a very narrow entrance.
Friday
We had a quick look at the Lakes Entrance, and another town on the lakes, Paynesville, and then up to Omeo which was once an old gold mining town – now largely deserted after a major fire in 1939. The road up through the Great Dividing Range was beautiful – at first it wa
s all stony with gum trees blackened by bush fires clinging in between the rocks. The road was very windy and climbed up and then dropped down to the rivers to nice little camping areas – the road then went through an area of major bush fires – probably about 3 years ago – the tall straight silver grey ghost gums had no foliage – must have all died after the fires – they looked quite sad and then the new regrowth had started and it was lush and bright with the tips of the new gum trees golden and red in the sunlight – quite spectacular - I couldnt capture it on film. Ended up through beef grazing country at Tallangatta and then came on past Lake Hume – the artificial lake with its dreadful dead trees all sticking up – when they flooded the land for the lake the trees just stood there – goodness knows how long they have been standing there – but they look awful.Stopped the night at Albury – this is turning into the longest blog of all time!
